Boston Cream Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my Achille's heel. But, Mike’s weakness is Boston Cream Pie. This dessert satisfies both our cravings. The best of New York and the best of Boston rolled into one:  a layer of moist yellow cake, followed by a creamy cheesecake layer, and topped off with a silky chocolate glaze. This cake reminds me a lot of Junior’s Original New York Cheesecake, only this one is much easier to prepare because you start with a cake mix, rather than baking from scratch. This calorie-laden indulgence will tip the scales (literally), but your sweet tooth will love you for it! Three layers of deliciousness that add up to one decadently irresistible dessert.

Preheat oven to 325° F. (300° F. if using a dark nonstick springform pan). Grease bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy).

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. You will only be using half of the batter for this dessert. (You can always use up the balance by baking some cupcakes or a single layer cake.) 

I poured prepared batter in a measuring cup so I could give you exact half measurement.

Pour half of the cake batter (about 2-1/4 cups) into prepared pan. If using a silver springform pan, bake for 25 minutes. If using a dark pan, bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until blended. 

Pour cheesecake mixture over prepared cake layer in pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. A toothpick test won’t work, as center will still be wet. But, if center of cheesecake springs back when touched, it’s done. (If using dark pan, baking time should be the same, but at the lower temperature of 300° F.) 

Cool on wire rack. After 30 minutes, run a knife (or metal spatula) around rim of pan to loosen cake. 

Cool completely before removing rim of springform pan.

In bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa. 

Add melted butter. Gradually add milk (starting with only 2 Tablespoons, then adding more as needed). Mix well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. 

Carefully spread icing over cooled cheesecake layer.

Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

I added too much milk to the frosting, so it didn't set up as firmly as I would have liked, but the end result was still delicious!

BOSTON CREAM CHEESECAKE
Source: Cake from Kraft Philadelphia Recipe Collection
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

• 1 package yellow cake mix* (If you can find a 1-layer size package, that would work best. Otherwise, just use half of the batter from a standard 16.5-ounce package.)
• 3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs

*Note: You will also need oil, eggs and water, as called for on cake mix packaging.



Frosting:

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons milk (adjust quantity to desired consistency)
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. (300° F. if using a dark non-stick springform pan). Grease bottom of a 9-inch
    springform pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy).
2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. If using a standard 2-layer package, you will only be
    using half of the batter for this dessert. (You can always use up the balance by baking some cupcakes
    or a single layer cake.)
3. Pour half of the cake batter (about 2-1/4 cups) into prepared pan. If using a silver springform pan,
    bake for 25 minutes. (If using a dark non-stick pan, bake for 20 minutes.) Cool on wire rack for 15 to 20
    minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended.
    Add sour cream. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until
    blended. Pour cheesecake mixture over prepared cake layer in pan.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. A toothpick test won’t work, as center will still be
    wet. But, if center of cheesecake springs back when touched, it’s done. (If using dark pan, baking time
    should be the same, but at the lower temperature of 300° F.) Cool on wire rack. After 30 minutes, run
    a knife (or metal spatula) around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely before removing rim of
    springform pan.
6. In bowl, combine sugar and sifted cocoa. Add melted butter. Gradually add milk (starting with only 2
    Tablespoons, then adding more as needed). Mix well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy.
    Carefully spread icing over cooled cheesecake layer. 
7. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque

As you know, over the weekend I made my Tex Mex Tuna Melt Panini. When I think of patty melts, I think of grilled cheese, and what goes better with grilled cheese than tomato soup.  I’m ashamed to admit this, but, until now, my version of tomato soup required 2 simple steps: opening a can and heating it. This time, I decided to get a little more adventurous and make my own. Actually, this recipe is not that much more difficult than my go-to version; it still requires opening up cans and heating, but the final result has that distinct “made with love” homemade taste. The inclusion of aromatic ingredients such as garlic, celery and onion add even more depth. Instead of using plain diced tomatoes, I chose fire-roasted. Fire-roasted tomatoes have that subtle smoky flavor that I thought would pair so well with Tex Mex. To give it a slightly thicker “bisque” texture, I added some tomato paste, flour and heavy cream. Heartier than a soup, yet not chunky like a chowder, because you blend the ingredients for a smooth finish. From start to end, this bisque was on the table in less than 30 minutes, proof that you can be enjoying a steaming bowl of hot soup in almost the same amount of time it takes to pop a pre-made one in the microwave. And the taste? There’s just no comparison. Soup is the best homemade meal anyone can make: feeds the body and nurtures the soul!

Note: I doubled the recipe, which would easily feed 8, so if you are looking for smaller “cup-size” portions, then cut the recipe in half. During the cooking process, I ended up transferring my bisque from a large saucepan to a Dutch oven, because it made more than I had originally planned on. But, that’s okay, soup never goes to waste in this house.Chop onion and celery. Mince garlic. Chop basil. Drain tomatoes.
 

In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables just start to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir for 1 minute, or until flour is fully incorporated. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and basil. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Cover partially and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer soup, in small batches, to a blender and puree until smooth. If you’ve had any success with an immersion blender, you can use that. You would think that being a kitchen gadget guru that I would own an immersion blender. Actually, I did, but after 2 disastrous attempts, I tossed it. Even on the lowest setting, my kitchen walls, counter and ceiling resembled a Jackson Pollock painting when I was done. Splatter everywhere. (Also, I was not comfortable with the steel blades, as all my cookware has a non-stick finish.) Needless to say, I quickly reverted back to my old stand blender. But, even with a stand blender, you still risk a kitchen nightmare if you try to overfill it. I strongly advise, filling the blender only half-way when pureeing (even if you have to blend in 4 batches, like I did).

 

Return the pureed soup to the saucepan. Add the heavy cream. Cook just until the soup is heated through. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir in the remaining butter.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with croutons and serve.

 
FIRE ROASTED TOMATO BISQUE
Source: Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 cups chicken stock (or substitute low-sodium broth)
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons chopped basil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper (or substitute black pepper)
• Garlic or cheese croutons, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic. Cover
    and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables just start to brown, about 5
    minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir for 1 minute, or until flour
    is fully incorporated. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and basil. Increase heat to
    medium. Bring to a boil. Cover partially and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally,
    until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer soup, in small batches, to a blender and puree until smooth. (Or, use an immersion blender,
    if you prefer.)
4. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan. Add the heavy cream. Cook just until the soup is heated
    through. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir in the remaining butter.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with croutons and serve.

Tex Mex Tuna Melt Panini

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you missed Saturday’s posting, I added a roundup of 20 different recipe ideas to help kick off your festivities. And, just in case that wasn’t enough, I’m including another new choice today. Even after doing some online research, I still can’t differentiate between Southwestern and Tex Mex cuisine. Since I usually associate Southwestern with black beans, I’ll call this recipe Tex Mex. But, please feel free to comment below if you know of a more precise distinction. This past weekend we were craving an All-American classic, Tuna Melts. But, I wanted to put a Tex Mex spin on the flavor combination. Along with the typical mayo, celery and red onion, I spiced it up with a little chili powder, cumin, lime juice, green onions and a pinch of cayenne pepper, then topped it off with a generous helping of Cheddar cheese and served it up “Panini” style on sourdough bread. What a winning combination! The sourdough bread gave it more bulk, making it a heartier, more filling sandwich; perfect for those busy weeknights when you need to dish out a quick and easy, satisfying meal. I served it up alongside a fire-roasted tomato bisque. The smoky flavors of the bisque paired wonderfully with the Panini. But, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get that recipe (so, stay tuned). In the meantime, don’t miss out on the opportunity to try these warm, toasty, cheesy, yummy sandwiches. This updated take on an old-fashioned favorite will melt your heart!

Is it just me, or did they go smaller on the tuna cans? I thought they were always 6-ounce cans. Seems like they are now 5-ounce. Typical. That’s today’s marketing techniques, cut back on the size instead of inflating the price (or do both).

In medium bowl, combine tuna, mayo, celery, red onion, lime juice chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Adjust mayo to texture you prefer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble sandwiches.

Slice sourdough bread (2 slices per sandwich). Butter one side of each of the slices.

Meantime, spray a grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat, over medium high heat. 

Assemble sandwiches. On half of the bread slices (non-buttered side) scoop on a generous helping of prepared tuna salad. Top with 2 slices of Cheddar cheese. 

Lay bread slices (buttered side down) on preheated skillet. When they start to brown, lay top slice (buttered side up) over filled slice. Using something weighted, like a smaller cast iron skillet, or an aluminum foil covered brick, lay the weighted object over the top of the sandwich (to get nice deep grill marks). Turn and repeat on other side. When sandwich is toasty brown on both sides and cheese is fully melted, serve.

Serve with tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos, soup, or salad.

TEX MEX TUNA MELT PANINI
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 (5-ounce) cans solid white tuna, packed in water
• 2/3 to 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 of a small red onion)
• 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Sourdough bread
• Cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor you prefer)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In medium bowl, combine tuna, mayo, celery, red onion, lime juice chili powder, cumin and cayenne
    pepper. Adjust mayo to texture you prefer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If not using right
    away, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble sandwiches.
2. Slice sourdough bread (2 slices per sandwich). Butter one side of each of the slices.
3. Meantime, spray a grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat, over medium high heat.
4. Assemble sandwiches. On half of the bread slices (non-buttered side) scoop on a generous helping of
    prepared tuna salad. Top with 2 slices of Cheddar cheese.
5. Lay bread slices (buttered side down) on preheated skillet. When they start to brown, lay top slice
    (buttered side up) over tuna-filled slice. Using something weighted, like a smaller cast iron skillet, or
    an aluminum foil covered brick, lay the weighted object over the top of the sandwich (to get nice deep
    grill marks). Turn and repeat on other side. When sandwich is toasty brown on both sides and cheese
    is fully melted, serve.

20 Recipes to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Here are 20 ideas to help kick off your Cinco de Mayo festivities!

1. Mexican Meat Loaf

2. Roasted Jalapeno Patty Melts

3. Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Mango Slaw and Chipotle Cream

4. Jalapeno Popper Chicken Quesadillas

5. Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

6. Tex Mex Corn Chowder

7. Cheesy Salsa Potato Casserole

8. Jalapeno Corn Muffins

9. Tex Mex Bacon Queso Burger

10. Southwestern Pinwheels

11. Southwestern Pineapple Pork Chops

12. Tex Mex Pasta Salad

13. Club Style Turkey Enchiladas

14. Meal-in-a-Bite Nachos

15. Mexican Breakfast Casserole

16. Chipotle Chicken Salad

17. Mojo Marinated Steak Fajitas

18. Loaded Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas

19. Mexicorn

20. Southwest Chicken Burritos

Creamed Spinach Gratin

Did you know that with some recipes, such as this one for Creamed Spinach Gratin, you are actually better off using frozen spinach over fresh? You actually get more bang for the buck with frozen. You can squeeze a lot of spinach in a 10-ounce box, resulting in more spinach and less volume. It would take over 6 cups of fresh spinach leaves to equal what you get in just one frozen box. And, one cup of frozen spinach has more than 4 times the amount of nutrients in a cup of fresh. Although not always the case with fresh versus frozen vegetables, in the case of spinach, frozen wins. 

Creamed spinach is a steakhouse favorite side dish. This variation kicks it up a notch by adding a trio of cheeses and a crunchy panko topping. The cream sauce is infused with shallots, garlic and nutmeg. Then you toss in the spinach and a blend of freshly grated Parmesan, Romano and Fontina cheeses. Transfer the creamed spinach to a loaf pan, top with even more cheese, and, last but not least, panko crumbs. Rich, flavorful, mouthwateringly elegant in presentation and can be on the table in only 20 minutes. Worried about leftovers? Spoon some creamed spinach gratin in puff pastry, pop it in the oven, and you have a completely new and tasty side dish to serve up the next night.

Missing from pic: butter

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly grease a glass or ceramic loaf pan (or spray with non-stick cooking spray).

Dice shallot. Mince garlic. Grate or shred cheeses.

Place thawed spinach in clean dish towel (or layers of paper towels) and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. Set aside. 

In resealable plastic bag, combine the three cheeses. Shake to mix. Set aside for later.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not caramelize. If they start to brown, reduce the heat. 

Add the heavy cream and nutmeg to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the cream. (The original recipe called for 5 to 6 minutes, but when I did that the cream reduced to nothing.) 

Add the spinach and half of the cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. 

If necessary, add more cream. (I must have done a great job of squeezing all the water out of the spinach, because I needed to almost double the amount of cream called for in the original recipe. My best advice is to add cream until you get the creamy texture you desire.)

Pour the creamed spinach into the prepared loaf pan. 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture over the top of the spinach. Evenly sprinkle the panko crumbs over the cheese. 

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the panko is golden brown. 
At this point, I sprinkled another handful of fontina cheese over the top then placed the loaf pan under the broiler for a minute or so to lightly brown. (This step is optional.)

Serve hot!

 
CREAMED SPINACH GRATIN
Source: Adapted from What We’re Eating
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground or grated
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano
• 2/3 cup Fontina, shredded, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly grease a glass or ceramic loaf pan (or spray with non-stick cooking
    spray).
2. Place thawed spinach in clean dish towel (or layers of paper towels) and squeeze out as much of the
    water as you can. Set aside.
3. In resealable plastic bag, combine the three cheeses. Shake to mix. Set aside for later.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and
    the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not caramelize. If they start to
    brown, reduce the heat.
5. Add the heavy cream and nutmeg to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes to
    reduce the cream.
6. Add the spinach and half of the cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and fresh
    cracked black pepper. If necessary, add more cream.
7. Pour the creamed spinach into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture over the
    top of the spinach. Evenly sprinkle the panko crumbs over the cheese.
8. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the panko is golden brown.
9. If desired, sprinkle a little more fontina cheese over the top then place the loaf pan under the
    broiler for a minute or so, to lightly brown. Serve hot.

Sloppy Joes

 

Sloppy Joes are one of those meals you would expect to eat if you stepped out of a time machine. Most of us have fond memories of some derivation of this loose-meat sandwich while growing up. It’s budget friendly, quick and easy to prepare, feeds a crowd; and let’s face it, anything that’s sloppy, generally means fun to eat. There are countless names for this sloppy meat sandwich. Depending on where you live, these are also known as wimpies, yum yums, slushburgers, barbecues, dynamites, sloppy janes (and the list goes on). There are also countless variations to the basic recipe, which consists of ground beef, ketchup or tomato sauce, onions and some seasonings, served on a bun.  I would have to say the oddest rendition appeared last year at the N.C. State Fair, where they debuted the Sloppy Joe doughnut burger – seasoned ground beef, topped with shredded cheese, and layered between a sliced-in-half glazed, unfilled, jelly doughnut. Don’t worry, I’m not going to be giving you that recipe. Even for me, that combination is unfathomable. My take on this childhood favorite combines tomato soup and tomato sauce for the base; onion and green bell peppers, for the veggies; and seasonings include brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder and prepared mustard. The mustard and Worcestershire give the flavor depth, while the brown sugar gives it a sweet-savory taste. So why not step back in time and bring smiles to the table tonight. 

Missing from photo: prepared mustard (I used French's Yellow Mustard) and sliced cheese for serving.

Chop onion and green bell pepper (or substitute celery). 

In large pan (or Dutch oven), over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, green pepper and onion. Drain off all liquid. 

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove cover. Increase heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes (to thicken the sauce).

Serve on buns. Top with a slice of your favorite cheese. 

SLOPPY JOES
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef (or substitute turkey)
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (or substitute celery)
• 2 (10-3/4 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Buns, for serving
• Sliced cheese, for serving (Cheddar, American, or whatever you prefer)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large pan (or Dutch oven), over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, green pepper and onion.
    Drain off all liquid.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring
    occasionally.
3. Remove cover. Increase heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes (to thicken the
    sauce).
4. Serve on buns. Top with a slice of your favorite cheese.